Multi-million pound cash pot will help fix county’s potholes

Victoria Bull

Herts is to receive a weighty sum from a multi-million pound government fund to help tackle pothole-ridden roads across the country.

Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning has welcomed the announcement that £17million of new funding to improve roads in Hertfordshire will be allocated for the year 2015/16 – part of a £92million pot allocated for the county’s road maintenance until 2021.

This is the first time 115 councils in the UK, including in Herts, have had certainty over funding for this length of time – meaning they can plan ahead and spend more efficiently and effectively.

Overall, £976 million a year will be invested in roads maintenance in England – enough to fix around 18 million potholes across the country.

Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning has welcomed the positive news for his constituency, which contains a number of craterous highways caused by poor weather over the current and previous winter.

He said: “We all know potholes and poorly maintained roads are a menace, particularly around Christmas, so this is great news for everybody who relies on the roads in Hemel Hempstead.

“£17million funding – part of a £92million package for maintenance over the next six years - will go a long way to dealing with the problems we face on our roads, giving us another reason for cheer in this festive period.

“Investing in Britain’s roads and infrastructure is a key part of the Conservatives’ long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain – and it’s only possible because we’ve taken the difficult decisions to cut ineffective spending elsewhere. By fixing our roads we are backing local businesses, and making life that bit easier for the hardworking people in Dacorum who use them to get around.”